metro turbo fuel starvation
Turbo Mini Forums

Thought I had solved it but two days after avon its doing it again.

Car cuts out after being under abit of load such as going up a hill for any length of time or being on boost.

I have cleaned the tank out and used a tank repair kit from frost, got rid of the ballast resistor.

You can hear the fuel pump changing note/struggling. Would the fuel pressure reg cause this? I have a new one to put on.

Inside the metros tank there is a strainer on the pick-up, this looks abit tired so I wondering if this is whats causing it, Can I cut this off and use a filter before the pump instead? will It suck fuel up ok like that.

Thanks

From your desription of "changing note/struggling" it could equally be the pump itself.

I had the same on my K series SPI Metro, different pump obviously, but same symptom of fuel starvation.

I pulled it apart - they aren't meant to come apart, but I had nothing to lose - and the sludge from the tank had ignored the strainer and was all inside the motor.

Schrödinger's cat - so which one am I ???

You can get new pumps from ebay for £22.

I think I have a new tank sender for a turbo if you want it.

What size is the out let from your tank? Sounds like the pump is causing the fuel to cavitate.

Own the day

Ignore this post on second glance bares no relevance to his issue.

I am currently modifying a tank for turbo use, you need to have atleast an 8mm bore pipe coming out of the tank.
If you are utilising the standard tank without mods to the feed line what you have described is what I know will happen.

From this

to this

Edited by Mr Joshua on 16th Jul, 2009.

Own the day

I must respectfully disagree with the statement that you need an 8mm outlet from the tank.I have 8mm feed and return lines with a standard MT pump and the actual tank outlet is barely 6mm.This has caused no problems whatever -the flow of fuel through the regulator and back to to the tank far exceeds the engines demands.Obviously there is no harm in having the larger outlet,but IMHO its not necessary.

Don't forget Mayo is running a Metro rather than a mini

Fine. I personally know different.

Check your fuel lines, on our Maestro turbo the fuel line between the pump and tank had failed internaly and was collapsing under the suction created by the pump (very hard to spot) when the pump is running squeeze this pipe if it squashes easily at any point along its length its failed.

Edited by Mr Joshua on 16th Jul, 2009.

Own the day

Basic pump principles 101. A pump must be able to scavenge more fuel than it can supply. Ie inlet is larger than outlet. The pump cannot physically eject more fluid than its being supplied.

Your just lucky!

Own the day

tadge44 is right, i use the standard mini van pickup pipe (tiny) and then inlarge the pipe size to fit the standard metro turbo pump. then i have larger fuel lines to and from the front, and the tank return is a bit of old steel carb breather pipe (also tiny)

Coversation for another thread going off on a tangent.

Edited by Mr Joshua on 16th Jul, 2009.

Own the day

where did the pipe fittings come from Mr Joshua ? i have seen them a few times now + i like

Yes i moved to the darkside

Instagram @jdm_brett

I have replaced the pump with a new one anyway, does the same.

I may just change all the fuel hoses to rule them out. Its all standard size, not sure what size that is. Is it worth puting 8mm feed on or does it not make a difference because the size of the outlets from the tank.

i'd look at the strainer in the tank, with the mini's the strainer will produce the same problem as you have mentioned. or fuel filter/ rubber fuel hoses

I think I have a spare new turbo sender unit knocking round...

Its not the sender I need, its the pick-up have you got one?

I have the bit that pop's through where the sender goes through the tank on a n/a metro. The bit with the tea strainer on it.

I will need to have a dig through my shed and get a pic for you. It was certainly no good for our n/a metro....

They are SS fittings and 3/8 pipe from swageloc

On 16th Jul, 2009 Brett said:
where did the pipe fittings come from Mr Joshua ? i have seen them a few times now + i like

Own the day

I cut open a metro Turbo fuel tank for its guts last night on hind sight I should have swaped it for yours.

Anyhow the feed pipe from strainer and poking out the tank is 10mm ID. There is no way of getting to it without cutting a hole in your tank added to the fact its brazed to a bracket thats brazzed to the side of the tank.

If you run out of options try back flushing through the feed line.

One other note the return line into the tank is reduced to 3mm at its outlet (a jet). The outlet sits inside the throat of a 10 mm bore pipe which is the feed pipe for the swirl pot. The returning fuel and the reduced return outlet act as a jet pump to fill the swirl pot and keep it filled.

If the gap between the 10mm pipe and the retun line is obstructed it is possible with low tank volume (ie below the level of the top of the swirl pot) that fuel flow exiting the swirl pot is higher than the fuel being drawn in thereby in a short while emptying the swirl pot and creating your problem.

Hope that make sense.

Own the day

My metro turbo is the late one with the high fuel filler neck.

There is a hole for the fuel sender unit and to the right of it is the fuel pickup which I can take out(about 6 screws) which is the bit with the strainer on the end.

Theres another pipe ontop of the tank which is the return.

then by the filler neck theres the main filler, another pipe which joins onto the filler neck(about 10mm from memory)

Another pipe which joins the very top of the filler neck(very thin pipe) this pipe on the tank travels inside the top of the tank over to where the sender unit/pick-up is

if you can take the strainer out then i would. the strainer in a mini tank causes the car to run ok on idle but stall after a couple of minutes on load. also you should have a fuel filter before the pump, and if thats dirty the same thing will happen so back flushing the filter or replacing it may help

Right so if cut the strainer off the end of the pick-up pipe and put a filter infront of my pump and replace the hoses and see if that cures it

You should be able to pull it straght off the end of the pipe. Should be held on with easy break sealant.

Own the day

pulled my one to bit's too , the strainer was not easy to get off and when i did it was full of crap , used pipe and put new tank filter (race part ) from ebay in my mini tank , have good filter before pump as well , metro pump has 10 or 8 mm pipe in from tank (not got the tape out ) and 8 or 6 mm out to reg' the return is 10 or 8 mm . the pipe in the tank is the 6 screw plate with gasket ... the return is in the filler neck ,this helps when looking to see the return flow (if you have one ) also the metro tank has a filler air escape pipe at top of neck ....

just a load of dribble but might help !!!!!!

Don't go slow !!! Go Turbo :))))))

The return is in the filler neck? does it travel inside the tank because my return goes to a pipe in the tank